Man accused of raping children now facing additional charges of child porn

Posted
Wednesday, August 29, 2012 9:15 am

By Andrew Amelinckx, Berkshire Eagle Staff,

Wednesday August 29, 2012

PITTSFIELD -- Robert Labarre, a city man who was accused of raping children and forcing them to pose nude for him, is facing more charges after a grand jury heard his case.

The 22-year-old, who was living in a tent in the woods before his arrest, was arraigned on Tuesday in Berkshire Superior Court on 14 charges that include new ones: seven counts of possession of child pornography.

According to prosecutor Rachael Eramo, during the execution of a search warrant law enforcement personnel discovered pornographic photographs of the victims allegedly taken by the defendant.

Police said Labarre was sexually abusing and photographing four of five children he would baby-sit when the children's parents were away, according to Eagle files. The children are ages 5 to 10. Only the 5-year-old was spared the abuse, said the prosecutor.

The Torrington, Conn., native moved to Pittsfield in 2010. The alleged crimes were committed shortly after his arrival in the city through July 12 of this year.

He was arrested earlier this month by Pittsfield Police, and has been in jail on $50,000 bail. He remains incarcerated at the Berkshire County Jail & House of Correction.

On Tuesday, Labarre pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape of a child with force, five counts of distribution of material involving a nude child in a lascivious pose as well as the seven counts of possession of child porn. He maintains his innocence.

Five counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 that Labarre had been charged with didn't make it through the grand jury process.

TALK TO US

If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please
email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by
filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.